Concentrations & Specializations

The Peter A. Allard School of Law is fortunate to be able to offer its students a wide variety of specializations and concentrations. By completing certain course requirements, students can, depending on the program, either obtain a transcript notation or certificate evidencing their successful fulfillment of the program requirements.

Specialization in Aboriginal Law

The Allard School of Law offers a Specialization in Aboriginal Law open to all JD students. Students who fulfill the requirements can be awarded the Specialization. No transcript notification will be made, but a certificate will be given to qualifying students once they have completed the requirements. The school has been a leader in Aboriginal legal education and recruitment of Indigenous JD students; the Specialization is the natural evolution of the broad range of courses covering Aboriginal law and Indigenous legal issues currently offered. Any student in the JD program may earn a Specialization in Aboriginal Law by undertaking a course of study that thoroughly prepares them for a demanding practice in Aboriginal law. Additionally, the education that students receive will stand them in good stead as they embark on their legal careers in a variety of fields. In BC, in part because so many land claims are unsettled, Aboriginal legal issues affect the practice of law in many areas. The Specialization recognizes student competency in relation to key elements in Aboriginal law including, but not limited to, the core concepts surrounding Section 35 jurisprudence, modern treaties, business development on reserves and experiential learning opportunities with the Indigenous community of the Downtown Eastside. For information about the specialization, including the Specialization Requirements, contact Lee Schmidt, Associate Director, Indigenous Legal Studies Program.

Business Law Concentration

In cooperation with the Centre for Business Law, the Allard School of Law has implemented the Business Law Concentration (the "Concentration"). Recognized through a notation on students’ final transcripts and a separate certificate awarded to students upon completion of the program, the Concentration is an optional program which requires participants to complete six mandatory courses plus an additional six credits from a selection of optional courses over the second and third years of the JD program.

As part of the mandatory requirements, students must also complete Law 466: Business Law Capstone (the "Capstone") in the spring term of third year. The Capstone allows students to demonstrate that they have achieved the learning goals of the Concentration as a whole. It is designed to be integrative and interdisciplinary and to incorporate theoretical and practical elements of business law. The Capstone is taught by Adjunct Professor Benjamin Lee, Vice President, Legal & General Counsel at TimberWest Forest Corp. and includes several guest lectures by practicing lawyers and executives. The final assignment requires students to present to the board members of Entrée Gold, Goldcorp, or Teck Resources. Enrolment in the Capstone is limited to Concentration students only.

Many of the program's graduates are currently working in various areas of business law at law firms and businesses across Canada and internationally.

Please click here for the requirements which should guide students' course selection and to download a copy of the Statement of Intent form which must be submitted by JD students entering third year who intend to complete the Concentration. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Chiara Woods, Executive Director, Centre for Business Law at woods@allard.ubc.ca. For general course advising, please contact Kaila Mikkelsen, Assistant Dean, Students at mikkelsen@allard.ubc.ca.

Specialization in Law & Social Justice

The Allard School of Law offers a Specialization in Law and Social Justice. Students who fulfill the requirements can be awarded the Specialization. No transcript notification will be made, but a certificate will be given to qualifying students once they have completed the requirements.

The Specialization in Law and Social Justice recognizes students who focus part of their legal studies on areas related to the use of law to achieve social justice. It also gives students who are interested in Law and Social Justice and public interest law guidance as to choice among courses in the upper year curriculum. It enables these students to show to prospective employers that they have gained expertise in relevant legal fields. The Specialization is designed flexibly in order to enable students to take their compulsory upper year courses and also to pursue interests in related fields, such as human rights or First Nations Law.

Specialization in Environmental and Natural Resource Law

Students may earn a Specialization in Environmental and Natural Resource Law by undertaking a course of study that thoroughly prepares them for a demanding practice in environmental or natural resource law in a global environment. In order to earn the Specialization, the student must complete certain requirements. No transcript notification will be made, but a certificate will be given to qualifying students once they have completed the requirements.